When to Hit the Story Help Button

I wince when I think of it. My first script. It was dreck. But I was clueless. I sent it out. Oh, Muses, please let no one remember it! It was an amateur hour of skinny concept, endless scenes of characters who never shut up, all that emoting on the page, and such on the nose monologs. And how can I forget, “That girl never stops crying!”

And that was just the problems. I could stammer ceaselessly about what the story didn’t have!

“Scott, STOP! Ya gotta forget.” True, but not the big lesson I learned.  

Do you have bells clanging in your ears?

We all jump the gun. Shoot ourselves in the foot. Put ourselves up against the firing wall.

But to my credit I FINALLY did learn from this self-ignited disaster. I finally understood the great truth:

All successfull writers get their script evaluated and vetted by a story pro before they send it out.

And by pro I don’t mean some doe-eyed relative, mooning partner, or clinging gal pal. And probably most wannabes in a writing group. And even many producers and writers. And forget contests. I mean a flinty-eyed story surgeon who has worked script for decades.

But now that I’m wiser when do I know it’s time to get a pro to vet my story?  

Actionable Creative Solution

I always know I need an editor when I can do no more.

When I’ve developed, improved, fixed my story as much as I can. When I’ve hit a brick wall and can no longer see any ways to make it better or move it forward. I think my script is “perfect” or “done”. Of course, the wiser (scarred!) me knows that this belief is total non-objective BS.

It’s now that I find a skilled script consultant and get notes. And, yes, notes on an early draft nearly always ends like a moonlight date with Dracula. But that’s just the way it is for serious and pro writers. I pick myself up, clean my blood from the notes, and start applying all those I agree with. It’s the only way my story will be pro and marketable. And that I know that for sure. That’s gold; easily worth the initial pain.

So what about you?

Have you hit a brick wall of being totally out of ideas of how to improve your little darling?

Do you think your script is “perfect”?

Do you have an expert outsider not in your story bubble assess your script?

If you want to learn if your script is ready to send out, reply VET.

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